More than half of high school students lack basic impulse control, conflict resolution and relationship building skills, putting them on the back foot before they even enter the workforce. Should emotional resilience lessons be part of the school curriculum?

Written for TakeON! by Linley Watson of Peak Performance International

Before the global financial crisis, many people hadn’t experienced tough times at work. As many – particularly first jobbers - struggle to respond constructively to workplace stress, it has been estimated that lost productivity and psychological injury claims cost $30 billion a year in Australia alone. The good news is that emotional resilience can be learned

Resilience is about being mentally tough, emotionally strong, and maintaining a sense of wellbeing in the face of challenges. To some extent it comes from within and depends on your personality, but resilient behaviors can also be developed. Teaching emotional resilience at school will have a positive impact on productivity and performance at work, and benefit society as a whole.

At an organizational level developing emotional resilience is a big deal. Research by wellbeing expert Robertson Cooper shows clear links between productivity, psychological and physical health. Workplaces that support people to be fit and healthy, and acknowledge that people have a life outside work, are less stressful and more productive. Environments that support resilience and minimize stress can be created through things like realistic job design, providing autonomous roles, and effective change management. Benefits include increased engagement, fewer sick days and stress claims, and higher productivity. But even the most comprehensive wellbeing plan can’t eliminate all job pressure. It’s how people train themselves to respond to these stresses that matters.

Here are some things you can do to develop your emotional resilience:

Develop the right attitude – use positive self talk to remind yourself of what you can do.

Be aware – develop your emotional awareness, observing and understanding what you are feeling and why.

Develop an internal locus of control – we can’t control our circumstances, but we can control how we respond.

Cultivate optimism – this is more than looking on the bright side, it’s about maximizing your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses and setbacks.

Rally social support – friends can help lighten the load and those with strong social networks tend to stay healthier, happier and cope better with stress.

Find the funny side – stepping back and finding humour in frustration and adversity will increase your resilience to the situation.

Keep fit – having a regular exercise habit lifts mood and has been linked with stronger levels of resilience and immunity.

Get in touch with your spiritual side – studies have shown that having a spiritual element in your life will help you become more resilient.

Don’t give up – maintain the effort for the long term – don’t give up on your situation, don’t stop working toward getting through, and trust the process.

What next?

Learn more about the Emotional Resilience theme in Management Matters

Follow up with 10 top traits from Psychology Today – 10 Traits of Emotionally Resilient People